Iran’s new Covid cases hit four-month high

Iran’s daily new Covid-19 infections reached a four-month high on Monday, said the health ministry, as the capital Tehran was put on the highest virus risk level.

In the past 24 hours, 13,890 new cases were confirmed across the country, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in televised remarks.

It is the highest number of daily infections since December 4 and close to the peak of 14,051 positive cases recorded on November 28.

The Islamic republic is battling the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak of the Covid-19 illness and case numbers have risen following a surge in travel during the Iranian new year holidays that started on March 21.

Tehran is now classified as “red” on the country’s coronavirus risk scale, according to the health ministry, with only essential services, such as food providers and health centres, remaining open.

The newly reported cases brought the total number of infections to over 1.94 million, Lari said.

Monday’s 172 virus fatalities were also at their highest level since December 23.

According to Health Minister Saeed Namaki, Iran is now facing “one of the most severe waves of the coronavirus”.

“Sadly, no one listened to me about managing travel, and today we’re facing a great difficulty,” he was quoted as saying by the ministry’s website.